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Happy at 33

By Catherine Toth Fox • April 2, 2012 • Musings, The Daily Dish

No wonder Maroon frontman Adam Levine is smiling.

He’s 33 — and, according to a new survey, that’s the happiest year for most of us.

A British website, Friends Reunited, found that 70 percent of people over 40 picked age 33 as their happiest. Only 6 percent said they were content during their college years; 16 percent pointed at their childhood.

“The age of thirty-three is enough time to have shaken off childhood naivety and the wild scheming of teen-aged years without losing the energy and enthusiasm of youth,” says psychologist Donna Dawson. “By this age innocence has been lost, but our sense of reality is mixed with a strong sense of hope, a “can do” spirit, and a healthy belief in our own talents and abilities. We have yet to develop the cynicism and world-weariness that comes with later years.”

Man, 33 was a tough year for me.

I went through a bad breakup, had to find a place to live, and just changed my jobs. But honestly, in hindsight, it turned out to be the best thing for me.

I needed to get out of that relationship — and I wouldn’t have done it myself — and I needed to refocus on my own life. I threw myself into teaching and freelancing — my career now — and got a dog, Sunny, who’s been a central part of my life. I surfed in Fiji, completed a triathlon, traveled to Europe and met my soon-to-be husband. Can’t complain!

So was 33 the best year of your life?

Adam Levineage 33best year of your lifeFriends Reunited
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About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

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9 Comments

  • Reply M April 2, 2012 at 4:34 pm

    Hello Cat!

    33 came and went a long time ago, I don’t remember what happen at 33….

  • Reply matt April 2, 2012 at 6:18 pm

    33? I was 33 once… i must have been…wouldn’t have made it to the current age if I didn’t pass 33, right? I haven’t had any “bad” years, so I 33 must have been a good one.

  • Reply 808pooh April 2, 2012 at 8:59 pm

    33? hmmm? that’s exactly where I am at right now…was it a great year? I will have to recollect the past since i will be turning 34 in a few days!

  • Reply Cody Zamboni April 2, 2012 at 9:21 pm

    my 33rd trip around the sun, sucked
    34th time around was better

  • Reply DIO April 2, 2012 at 10:10 pm

    33? Adam Levine? Funny, I read an article of how he just broke up with his girlfriend, who happens to be a model. Is 33 a good one for Adam or no?

  • Reply kalei April 3, 2012 at 1:50 am

    Yup! 33 was a time of turmoil, excitement, and change, all for the better!

  • Reply eddyo April 3, 2012 at 7:37 am

    Welcome back Cat!

    Considering his line of work, Levine is lucky to get past the infamous 27th year!

    I don’t believe in a statistical treatment of happiness, but just to enjoy the moment you happen to be in life.

    Didn’t you ever have the experience of totally enjoying yourself & figuring, “Man, this is a moment I will never forget”?

    btw, You’re not doing so bad, eh?!

  • Reply David Jackson April 3, 2012 at 9:40 am

    Frankly there are no favorite years, just happy to wake up each day on this side of the AstroTurf. This year is shaping up to be pretty good. Come July 8th we’ll see if it ends as well as it started.

  • Reply Kim April 5, 2012 at 9:34 am

    Is 33 the “yakudoshi” year for women too?

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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